Pipe wiper



Dec. 21, 1954 B. H. BARNES ETAL 2,697,240

PIPE WIPER Filed Oct. 11, 1946 FIG l. FIG 2 INVENTORS BYRON H. BARNES AND BURT S. MINOR ATTORNEYS 2,697,240 Patented Dec. 21, 1954 PIPE WIPER Byron H. Barnes, San Marino, and Burt S. Minor, Whittier, Calif.

Application October 11, 1946, Serial No. 702,836 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-210) This. invention relates generally to devices for use in removing rotary mud or drilling fluid from drill pipe or oil from tubing as. the same are removed from the well, commonly referred to as pipe wipers.

Formerly it was the practice to play a stream of Water on the drill pipe as it was withdrawn from the well in order to remove the drilling fluid therefrom. However, this practice. is objectionable because the water dilutes the drilling fluid, lowering its specific gravity, and because it creates a hazardous condition by wetting the floor of the derrick. As a result in recent years it has become the practice to utilize a wiper member for removing the fluid from the pipe and several types of such wipers are currently in use. The types with which we are familiar are not entirely satisfactory, one objection to them being that as the tool joints or couplings on the pipe are pulled through the wiper, the wiper slaps back onto the main section of the pipe, splashing mud or fluid upwardly onto the workmen or onto the derrick floor. Since the wipers must necessarily be made of a resilient or elastic material such as rubber or rubber composition, another serious pipe passes through it.

It therefore is a primary object of this invention to provide a simple, novel, improved wiper which will efiiciently remove the fluid from the pipe as it is withdrawn from the well and which does not have the above-noted disadvantages.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of the type indicated which is durable and possesses long-wearing qualities. In this connection, it is a particular object of the invention to provide a wiper which is designed to minimize as far of the device to split or be cut the action of the pipe being drawn therethrough. It is also an object to provide a construction in a wiper which limits the spreading of any splits or cuts occurring on the inner surface of the wiper.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wiper device which is shaped to achieve an efficient wiping of the pipe and yet will freely pass the tool joints and other projections on the pipe and will pass these without causing splattering or splashing of the fluid as the wiper returns to the normal shape and size after the projection has passed through the wiper.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and the following description thereof. Referrinlg to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes on y:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing a Wiping device embodying the invention with relation to the pipe, a rotary table and the water string or outer string of well casing;

Fig. 2 is a Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the wiper partly broken away to show the reinforcement member therein.

More particularly describing the invention, reference numeral generally indicates a wiper embodying the invention which is shown in Fig. 1 positioned immediately below the slips 11 of the ordinary rotary drilling table 12. This is the normal position that the wiper would occupy as the pipe, indicated by the numeral 14, is

on its inner surface by sectional elevation of the wiper shown in line of parting from Withdrawn from the well, the outer casing of which is shown at 15.

other metal, or it may be some other relatively stiff material.

The member 20 is cemented or vulcanized in place.

It is a particular feature of the invention that the inner section 18 of the wiper have an inner pipe-wiping portion in compression and an outer hoop tension portion therearound. Thus, I prefer to mold the body of the wiper, which may be of rubber, synthetic rubber, or other suitable resilient material, with the outer por The inner portion 30 terminates at its inner end in performs the wiping action through the wiper. By reason of extending inner section of the wiper, this section of the wiper readily expands to pass projections on the pipe itch as) the tool joints, one of which is shown at 14' By reason of the fact that the inner section of the wiper is comprised of two parts 21 and 30 and is parted or divided therebetween, should any sharp projections on the pipe cut the inner member 30 the wiper will not be cut or split radially entirely therethrough and rendered unsuitable for use. Any cut would be prevented by the spreading outwardly, leaving the member 21 undamaged and resiliently supporting the inner section.

It will be apparent from the above that the outer por tion 21 of the inner section of the wiper forms a hoop tension member around the inner portion 30 of the inner section so that the inner portion will be effectively supported even in the event of its being cut. Also, since the inner surface of the inner portion is in compression it is not readily subject to being cut by the pipe as the same is pulled through the wiper.

While a flat annular reinforcing member embedded in the body of the wiper has been described and shown, it is contemplated that other means may be employed for stiflening the outer section of the wiper. For example, an external plate might be used, or the rubber composition itself might be sufliciently hardened in the region of the outer section to eliminate the necessity of an additional reinforcing member. Fibers such as cotton linters or the like might be used as a reinforcement means.

In operation, the wiper is installed on a pipe below an abutment such as the rotary table shown in Fig. l, and as the pipe is pulled upwardly through it, the pipe engaging wiping lip serves to remove fluid from the pipe. When a tool joint or other projection is drawn through the wiper, the upturned inner section readily expands to permit passage of the tool joint or other projection on the pipe and, as the inner section returns to normal size, it has been found that the shape of the pipe wiping lip, indicated by numeral 25 in Fig. 2, is such that there is no splashing of upwardly.

If the pipe should be run into the well with the wiper in place on it, the wiper 10 would normally be supported the curved upwardly the mud or other fluid against being carried into the well on the pipe by some means (not shown) against which it might abut. When the wiper engages such means the downward motion of the pipe therethrough would turn the wiper partially inside-out so that the inner section thereof would be turned downwardly to readily permit passage of the pipe and enlargements thereon. Once the direction of the pipe was reversed and drawn upwardly through the wiper the inner section of the wiper would return to its normal position.

Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it is contemplated that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A pipe wiper comprising an annular elastic body having an annular, fiat outer section and a curved, axially projecting inner section, said inner section comprising an inner pipe-engaging portion and an outer reinforcing portion surrounding and in contact with said inner pipeengaging portion, said inner pipe-engaging portion projecting axially in a direction opposite to its normal formed position whereby the inner surface portion thereof is in compression.

2. An annular pipe wiper comprising a body of elastic material having a flat outer section and an axially proan inner pipe-wiping por portion, said outer porti terrupted, the inner sur portion bei References Cited in the file of this patent Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date McAuliffe Mar. 25, Bruen Nov. 2, Webb Apr. 14, Mosher June 13, Ballagh Feb. 10, Thompson July 21, Hall Jan. 1, Hill July 29, Kennedy et al. July 6, Reich July 19,

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 29,

jecting inner section defining a pipe-receiving opening,

tion and an outer hoop tension on being continuous and uninface of said inner pipe-wiping ng under compression. 

